Object

Preferred Options

Representation ID: 46817

Received: 25/07/2012

Respondent: Mr Ken Hope

Representation Summary:

100 new dwellings in Barford is too high a rate of increase cf the size of the village. Also at a greater rate than proposed for the urban area of WDC. This would also overwhelm particular roads.

Barford's community has worked hard for and won good facilities in spite of its small size but is now defined as a 'Category 1' village. Its community strength exists primarily because the village has grown at a steady rate and it has been able to absorb any newcomers. Increasing the rate of building new dwellings will destroy this community spirit.





Full text:

I believe that Barford should continue grow but by adding an arbitrary 100 dwellings onto c550 dwellings is an >18% increase. The proposed WDC urban area increase is 7500 on a dwelling stock of c55000 i.e. about10 % increase. Further the increase to Barford is on a much smaller base so is more significant.

If the three areas in the village where permission is being sought to build are all granted there would be more than 130 new dwellings in the next few years. Also the village is still absorbing the 'Oldham's site / Brembridge' increase of 69 dwellings. This would make the potential increase over a five year period about 200 dwellings i.e. about 40%. This is far above the whole of Warwick District 'Preferred Option for an average level of 555 homes per year' (Local Plan Summary pp 3 - PO1 paragraph 1)

The community spirit of Barford has been paramount in achieving a number of projects over the last 30 years.
E.g.
* changing the entry to the M40 from the road through Barford village to its present entry places. * preventing the edge of the village being damaged by becoming a prime source of gravel.
* fighting for the Barford by-pass to be built to protect the village and bridge from being damaged by heavy goods traffic
* keeping the village school open.
* building and running a village shop
There is no sense in destroying this village spirit for the sake of excessive building here
which would be insignificant in the urban area.